Device for moistening and dispensing cleansing pads



June 16, 1936. J. B. DARGAVEL 2,044,284

DEVICE FOR MOISTENING AND DISPENSING CLEANSING PADS Filed June 9, 193059 gwuanko'o:

James B. Dm gmml '5 Patented June 16, 1936 nnvros non Mors'rnmoAppiicatiofifl 9, 1

My invention relates to dispensing devices and has for an object toprovide a device for dispensing cleansing pads to be used particularlyfor cleansing various parts of the body.

An object of the invention resides in provid-' ing a device whereby thepads may be kept and dispensed in a sanitary manner.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a dispensing devicein which the pads may be moistened or a suitable medicinal preparationapplied thereto prior to the dispensing thereof.

An object of the invention resides in providing a device utilizing padshaving absorbent characteristics in which the pads are moistened throughabsorption.

Another object of the invention resides in providing means whereby theabsorption is confined to certain portions of the pad.

A still further object of the invention resides in confining themoistening or application of the preparation solely to the absorbentpart of the particular pad to be dispensed.

An object of the invention resides in arranging the pads in a stack andin applying the moisture or medicinal preparation to the lowermost padin the stack.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a receptacle forthe moistening liquid or other preparation and in bringing the lowermostpad of the stack in contact with the liquid therein so as to permit thelowermost portion of said pad to absorb liquid from said receptacle.

A still further object of the invention resides in moving the stack ofcleansing pads bodily towards the liquid to moisten the lowermost pad inthe stack.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the device with acase and in providing within said case a rack for supporting thecleansing pads.

An object of the invention resides in constructing said rack with aplate-like member extending across said case to form two compartments,one for. the reception of said pads, and in providing guides forslidably mounting said rack in said case.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing said rack with aperforate platform issuing outwardly from said plate-like member forsupporting the pads.

A still further object of the invention resides in forming said rack sothat the same may be bodily removed from the case.

mo onsansnva p James 'B. Dar-gavel,

e30. Serial N... ssasee (or. oil-is) "An object of the invention residesin formin in the bottom of said case and below said rack a receptaclefor the moistcning liquid.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a reservoir fordelivering moistening liquid to said receptacle.

An object of the invention resides in utilizin a bottle for saidreservoir and in disposing said. bottle in inverted position with theneck thereof extending into said receptacle.

A feature of the invention resides in disposing said bottle in the othercompartment in said case.

An object of the invention resides in forming in said case an openingopposite the lowermost pad in the stack for the removal of said pad fromthe stack, said opening being above the elevation of said receptacle.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing means forlowering the rack along said guideway to bring the lowermost pad incontact with the liquid in said receptacle.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination andarrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafterillustrated and/or described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device for moistening and dispensingcleansing pads illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 2-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device empty and with the cover removed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rack for supporting the stack ofpads.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the operating mechanism ofthe'invention taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a plan sectional detail view of the guides for the supportingrack.

Fig. 8 is a cross mtional view of the neck and cap for the bottleforming the reservoir of the invention.

My invention comprises primarily a case which I have indicated at itwhich may be constructed of sheet metal or any other suitable material.This case is formed with a front wall H, a rear wall 92, and side wallsi3 and It. At the lower portion of the case M) is provided a bottom l5.when the case is constructed of sheet metal, the bottom It is attachedto the wall structure of the case through a seam i 6 such as is now wellknown in the m. The upper end of the case In is open and the upper edgeof the case It is bent over to form a rim II which stifiens the case andserves to finish the same. The open end of the case is adapted to beclosed through a closure I8. This closure is constructed with a top l9and witha flange 20 extending about the same and connected to the topl9. The flange 29 is adapted to be inserted into the interior of thecase M to close the same. The rim seats against a bead 2| on the flange20 of the closure l8 which limits the movement of said closure into thecase.

Within the interior of the case III are dis posed a rack 22 forsupporting a plurality of pads 23 and a reservoir 24. The reservoir 24is adapted to deliver the liquid contained within the same into areceptacle 25 at the bottom of said case and from which the liquid isapplied to the pads. These various parts will now be described indetail.

The pads used with my invention are best shown in Fig. 3 and areconstructed with a sheet of non-absorbent material 26 such as certainkinds of paper or the like, a sheet of porous material indicated at 21such as a loosely woven fabric, and a layer of absorbent material 26therebetween such as cotton batten or some similar material. The sheets26 and 21 may be stitched together or glued along the edges 39 thereofor otherwise secured together to form a unitary structure which may beutilized for the desired purpose as will be presently more fullydescribed. In the' construction of these pads, the sheets 26 and 21 arepreferably constructed of dimensions greater than the intervening layerof absorbent material 28 so that the attached edges 39 of said pad areconsiderably thinner than the remaining portion of the pad. Thisconstruction permits of readily grasping the pad through said edges forthe purpose of removal of the pad from the rack 22 as will be latermorefully described. These pads may also be constructed without thesheet 26 by waterproofing the backof the pad as by applying a suitablechemical preparation thereto.

The rack 22 comprises a vertical plate-like member 29 which is disposedbetween the front wall II and the rear wall l2 of the case l and whichdivides said case into two compartments 90 and 3|. This plate isconstructed with two offset portions 32 and 33 through which the rack isguided for vertical sliding movement within the interior of the case.'At the lower end of the plate-like member 29 is a platform 34 which maybe bent outwardly from the material forming the plate 29 or which may beformed in any other suitable manner. The platform'is, when constructedas a part of the plate 29, formed with a number of elongated openings 35extending from the forward edge 31 to the rearward edge 36 of saidplatform. These openings leave spaced bars 36 connected to the edges 31and 38 of said platform whereby the pads are supported upon saidplatform in a manner to permit of immersing the lower surface of thelowermost pad in the stack into the liquid within the container 25. Forthe purpose of permitting the liquid to readily drain from the platform34 when the same is raised, the bars 35 are constructed with a crosssection in the shape of an inverted U as best shown in Fig. 2, whichcauses the liquid picked up by the same. to quickly drain back into thecontainer 25. This construction, at the same time, minimizes the surfaceof the platform contacting with the undersurface of the pad to bemoistened thereby causing the liquid to be more uniformly applied to thesurface of the pad. At the same time, the bars 36 form rails or supportsfor the pads and along which said pads slide in the removal of the samefrom the device which permits of readiLv withdrawing the lowermost pad40 will be described in detail which guide is shown in detail in Fig. 7.This guide is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is formed with aback 42. The metal at the edges of said back is doubled up upon the backto provide overlying portions 43 and 44. These portions have bentoutwardly therefrom spaced flanges 45 and 46 to provide a guideway 41therebetween of sufficient width to freely receive the portion 23 of theplate-like member 29 of rack 22. By means of the guides 49 and 4| therack may be slid vertically for the purpose of moistening the pads 25 aswill be later more fully described.

The rack .22 is supported in elevated position within the guides 40 and4| as follows: The upper part of 'the offset portion 22 of the platelikemember 29 is cut away as best shown in Fig.

5 to form two fingers 46 and 5| extending toward one another and spacedfrom one another. These fingers are adapted to extend into the ends .ofa coil spring 49 and to hold the same attached to the plate 29. Both ofthese fingers are of a width less than the width of said offset portionto leave shoulders 50 on either side of said fingers against which theends of said spring may seat. At the upper end of the offset portion 32is attached to it a lever 52 which is adapted to extend through a slot53 formed in the front wall ll of case II. This slot extends completelythrough the rim ll of said case so that the entire rack may bedisengaged from the guides 40 and 4| and bodily removed from the case.To further permit of such removal, notches 54 are formed in the platform34 of rack 22 which receive the flanges 46 and 41 of said guides, andpermit of sliding the platform 34 upwardly above the lower portions ofsaid guides. The rack 22 is supported at the proper elevation within thecase l0 through the lower end of the coil spring 49 which rests upon theupper ends 55 of the flanges 46 and 41 of the guide 4|. The spring 49 ispreferably formed of sufficient stiffness so that said spring is notdeflected through the weight of the rack and the pads carried thereby sothat when said rack is inserted into the guides 40 and 4| the rack comesto rest when the lower end 'of the spring 49 engages the upper end 55 ofthe flanges of the guide 4|. When the parts are so disposed, the lever52 is near the upper end of the slot 52 .but at a position below theflange 29 of the closure l6. when the lever 52 is depressed through athumb piece 56 formed upon the protruding end thereof, the entire rack22 together with the parts carried thereby is lowered until said leverreaches the end of the slot 52.

The pads used with my invention which are indicated at 23 areconstructed of such a size as to fit loosely between the front and rearwalls I I and I2 of case Ill and between the plate-like member 29 of therack 22 and the end wall H of said case. In placing the pads within thecase. the rack 22 is either partially or completely a es removedfrom'the case and the pads arranged indicated in its entirety at 62 isplaced upon the uppermost pad 83 of the stack which holds the pads 28 inproper position within the interior of the receptacle and upon theplatform as.

Near the lower portion of the case It and shortly above the bottomthereof is'i'ormed in the front wall ll of said case a horizontal slot51 which extends completely through the side wall it of said case and upto the guide M. This slot is positioned at such an elevation that theedge 39 of the lowermost pad 58 of the stack 60 lies opposite said slot.Said slot is constructed with a thumb notch ti communicating therewithby means of which the fingers maybe inserted into said slot and the edgeas of the pad 68 so as to permit of the withdrawal of said pad throughsaid slot. In the withdrawal of the pad the lower surface of the sameslides along the bars 3% of platform 36 while the superim-' posed padsare held from movement through engagement with the front wall ll of thecase proper. As the pad 58 is removed from the device, the superimposedpads fall by gravity to cause the next pad to lie upon the bars 36 inidentically the same manner as the preceding pad.

The weight 62 used for holding the pads in contact with the platform 36may have a dual function. In such event said weight is constructed fromsheet metal being formed in the nature of a container having a bodyportion 6% closed through a suitable closure 65. The interior of thisdevice may be iilledwith a suitable chemical which is indicated at 6'!which furnishes part of the weight and which may be used for maintainingthe pads 59 sterile. The body 6d of this device is provided with anumber of openings 66 through which the medicated gases escaping fromthe chemical 61 may pass into the interior of the case it to maintainthe said pads sterile.

The receptacle 25 at the bottom of the case Ill is formed through thefront and rear walls H and i2 and the side wall It of said case througha short upright partition 68 within said case which extends from thewall H to the wall l2 thereof. This partition is soldered to the bottomI5 of the case and to the front and rear walls thereof and is arrangedto form a pocket 69 disposed immediately below the center of thecompartment 30 of said case. The liquid in said receptacle which isindicated at 10 in Fig. 2 of the drawing is maintained at an elevationnot to exceed that illustrated in the drawing and designated by thereference numeral H so the liquid will not overflow the upper edge ofthe partition 68. Upon depressing the thumb piece 56 of the lever 52 theentire rack 22 is lowered in opposition to the spring 39, the lower endof which remains seated against the upper edge 55 of the guide ii. Asthe platform 34 of said rack, together with the pads carried thereby,descends the pad 58 is brought in contact with the upper surface of theliquid 10 which causes the said liquid to moisten the lowermost surfaceof said pad. Due to the construction of the under portion of said pad ofporous material, the moisture is readily absorbed by the sheet 21 'andlayer the finger piece 56 is released and the pad brought back to normalposition. When so disposed the lowermost pad 58, as previously broughtout, is opposite the slot 51. Said pad may then be readily removed fromthe device by grasping the edge 89 thereof and withdrawing the samelaterally from the stack 66 and through the slot 51.

" During the removal of the lowermost pad 58 from the device the undersurface thereof is scraped-over the edge 59 of the front wall ll edge 31of platform 86. This removes the surplus water from the pad before thesame leaves the device.

For the purpose of supplying the liquid for the container 25 and formaintaining theliquid at a predetermined elevation within said"container, a bottle H is employed which forms the reservoir 26. Thisbottle may be of ordinary construction and is preferably substantiallyrectangular in cross section to readily fit within the compartment 39 inthe case it; This bottle is formed with a body portion l2 terminating inthe usual neck it. The neck It, however, is constructed in a differentmanner than the necks of ordinary bottles. This neck is provided at theextreme end thereof with an annular bead it. Over this head is placed apenetrable closure 15 which is held in place over the end of said bottlethrough a ring 16 of metal which is rolled over the head it. The closure15 may be constructed in any desired manner as long as the same isreadily penetrable. If desired, the same may be constructed with paperlined with tin foil or some other suitable material so as to form atight seal for the bottle when the same is applied thereto and the ring16 attached to the bead M. For the purpose of protecting the closure H5a screw cap ll of ordinary construction may be employed which is adaptedto be screwed upon threads 18 cast upon the neck 73 of the bottleinwardly of the head 14. It is to be noted that the threads 18 are of adiameter appreciably greater than the bead It so that the cap ll willclear the ring 16 when screwed upon the neck i3.

In conjunction with the reservoir 26, a pierc- P ing device which I haveindicated in its entirety at 19 is employed. This piercing device may beconstructed of sheet metal and comprises two parts 80 and 8! bent awayfrom one another.

These parts have issuing outwardly therefrom lugs 82 and 83 by means ofwhich said device may be secured to the bottom I5 of the case it throughrivets 86. The piercing device 19 is formed with a prong 85 and with twoshoulders at on the bent parts 8!! and 8! thereof. The

.piercing device i9 is disposed centrally within the pocket 69 of thereceptacle with the prong 85 projecting upwardly. In filling thereceptacle 25 with liquid, ca W is removed from the bottle H and thebottle inverted and inserted into the compartment 30.

As the bottle reaches the bottom of said compartment the prong 86pierces the closure I0 and permits the fluid within the bottle to escapethrough said closure and along the pocket 69 and into the receptacle 25.When the bottle H reaches its lowermost position, the bead It thereofrests upon the shoulders 86 of the bent portions 80 and 8| of saidpiercing device holding the lowermost portion of the neck of the bottleof absorbent material zetherebetweena After a sufficient amount ofmoisture has been absorbed,

above the bottom I! of the case proper. This permits the liquid to flowfrom the bottle until the liquid reaches an elevation such as indicatedat H in Fig. 2 above the lowermost portionof the neck of said bottle.When such elevation is reached a seal is formed which prevents thefurther escape of the liquid from the bottle until the liquid withinsaid receptacle drops below the lowermost portion of the neck of thebottle. In this manner the elevation of the liquid within the receptacle25 is maintained at approximately the same elevation so that the deviceis at all times ready to be used. When the contents of the reservoir 24have been emptied, bottle. Il may be removed and a full bottle replacedin case It. In order to more easily remove the bottle from the case, therim ll of -the case is caused to lie below the upper part of .the bottleas best shown in Fig. 2. When the closure i8 is removed from the case,this portion of the bottle is exposed and is readily grasped to permitof raising the bottle upwardly from the case and withdrawing the sametherefrom.

The invention is preferably attached to a wall at a suitable elevationso that the pads may be readily accessible and removable therefrom. Forthis purpose, the rear wall l2 of the case is provided at the lowermostportion thereof with a lug 86 which is formed with a screw hole 81through which a suitable screw may be inserted and screwed into the wallon which the device is mounted. A similar hole 88 in the upper portionof the rear wall I! permits of further attaching the case to the wall.When properly mounted, the case is firmly and rigidly held in positionso that the same-may be readily refilled and the pads removed therefromwhen desired.

In the use of the device, the rack 22 is filled with pads as previouslybrought.out and liquid discharged into the receptacle 25 by insertingthe bottle H in the compartment 30. when the user desires a moistenedpad, he first presses upon the finger piece 56 which lowers the entirerack 22 and the pads carried thereby so that the lowermost pad 58 of thestack 60 is brought into contact with the liquid ID in the receptacle25. He then holds the finger piece 56 at such elevation until the padhas absorbed the desired amount of liquid. Upon releasing pressure onthe finger piece 56 the spring 45 returns the rack to normal position inwhich the lowermost pad lies opposite the slot 51 in case iii. By nowgrasping the forward edge 39 of the pad through the notch ii and theslot 51 and by drawing the said pad laterally from the stack and alongthe bars 36 of the platform 34, the pad in moistened condition may beremoved from the receptacle and used for the desired purpose. Ifdesired, the pads may be removed from the device without moistening thesame by simply withdrawing the lowermost pad from the stack withoutdepressing the finger piece 56.

In applying the pads, the same are placed with the back 26 thereofagainst the index finger, middle finger, and fourth finger of the hand.The pad is held in place upon these fingers through the thumb whichengages the marginal portion 39 thereof. Upon first withdrawing the padsfrom the dispenser the pads are grasped solely through the portions 39.After they have been partly removed they may be grasped as describedabove, making it possible to directly apply the pads after removalthereof without necessitating additional handling of the pad orrepositioning thereof. This makes it quite unnecesmay be manipulatedwithout getting the fingers sary to touch the moistened part of the padwith the fingers, thereby-making the use of the pads highly sanitary.

The uses of the invention are many. The pads may be used for washing andcleansing various portions of the body. Various medicated solutions maybe used for moistening the pads to sterilize andsoothe the parts socleansed. By employing proper medicines the pads may be utilized fortreating sores and the like. 10

The pads may be used dry for rubbing oi! cold cream and forsimilarpurposes. If desired, the pads may be used for removing spotsfrom garments by applying to the same a suitable solvent, and ingeneral, for applying a liquid to any'surface.

My invention is highly meritorious in that the same encouragescleanliness and sanitation. Due to the non-absorbent back on the pad,the same wet. The moistening and dispensing of the pads and the use ofthe same may all be accomplished without touching the moistened portionof the pad so that the portion of the pad applied to the body will beclean and sterile. The amount of liquid absorbed by the pads may bevaried by varying the length of time that the finger piece 56 isdepressed. The pads may be used either wet or dry. The device is fullyautomatic. There are no valves or other troublesome parts to get out oforder and the device may be easily refilled as the occasion demands. Theapplication of' the moisture or medical preparation is made at the timethe pad is to be used.

Changes in the specific form of my invention as herein described may bemade within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is: 40 1. A device for moistening and dispensing padscomprising a case having a front and a rear wall, a plate extendingacross said case from said front wall to said rear wall, guides forslidably supporting said plate for vertical movement within said case, aperforated platform carried by said plate for supporting a stack ofpads, and means at the bottom of said case forming a receptacle for aliquid to be applied to the pads, said plate and platform being slidableto bring the pad resting upon said platform in contact with the liquidwithin said receptacle.

2. A device for moistening and dispensing pads comprising a case havinga front and a rear wall,

a plate extending across said case from said front wall to said rearwall, guides for slidably supporting said plate for vertical movementwithin said case, a perforated platform carried by said plate forsupporting a stack of pads, means at the bottom of said case forming areceptacle for a liquid to be applied to the pads, said plate andplatform being slidable to bring the pad resting upon said platform incontact with the liquid within said receptacle, and a reservoir withinsaid case positioned upon the other side of said plate and feedingliquid into said receptacle.

3. In combination, means for supporting adjacent one another a pluralityof pads, each having an absorptive surface, means for applying moistureto the absorptive surface of one of said pads, and means for precludingabsorption by adjacent pads, of moisture absorbed by the moistened pad.

'4. In combination, means for supporting adjacent one another aplurality ofv pads each hav- 76 ing an absorptive surface, means forapplying moisture to the absorptive surface of one of said pads, and asheet of non-absorbent material overlying the absorptive surface of theadjacent pad to preclude the absorption by said pad of moisture absorbedby the moistened pad.

5. In combination, means for supporting adjacent one another a pluralityof pads each having an absorptive surface, means for applying moistureto the absorptive surface of one of said pads, and a sheet ofnon-absorbent material overlying the absorptive surface of the adjacentpad to preclude the absorption by said pad of moisture absorbed by themoistened pad, said sheet being attached to the moistened pad.

6. In combination, a rack for supporting a plurality of pads, a supporttherefor including a guideway in which said rack is slidably mounted,

said rack being bodily removable fromsaid support, a resilient memberattached to and normally carried by said rack, means for sliding saidrack along said guideway, and on said support for engaging saidresilient member to oppose the flexing thereof, said means serving tohold said rack in normal position and a stop for said resilient membercarried by said rack.

'7. In combination, a case, a rack slidable within said case forsupporting a plurality of pads and including a platform on which thepads rest, said case having an opening therein through which the padsmay be removed, said opening lying opposite said platform, and areceptacle in said case for liquid for moisteningsaid pads, saidreceptacle being disposed below said opensaid receptacle.

8. In combination, a rack for supporting a plurality of pads in a stack,means at one end of said rack for holding the last pad in the stack in amanner so that the same may be removed therefrom and for restraining theothers from simultaneous movement in the same direction, a receptaclebelow said stack having a liquid therein, and means fixed relative tosaid receptacle and engaging said rack for guiding said rack formovement bodily toward the liquid to bring the lowermost pad in contactwith the liquid.

9. A device for moistening and dispensing pads comprising a frame, avertical rack for the reception of a stack of pads, means at the lowerend of said rack for holding the last pad in the stack in a manner sothat the same may be removed therefrom, a receptacle carried by saidframe for holding a quantity of liquid to be applied to said pads, meanscarried by said frame for guiding said rack for movement bodily towardsaid receptacle to bring the lowermost pad in contact with the liquid insaid receptacle, and a reservoir carried by said frame for feedingliquid into said receptacle.

10. A device for moistening and dispensing pads comprising a frame, avertical rack carried by said frame and disposed at one side thereof,said rack being adapted to hold a stack of pads, means at the lower endof said rack for holding the lowermost pads in the stack for individualremoval therefrom, a reservoir carried by said frame and disposedalongside of said rack, said reservoir having an outlet at-the lowermostportion thereof and a receptacle communicating with said outlet andextending below the lowermost pad in the rack, and means for procuringrelative movement of the lowermost pad in the rack and the receptacle tobring the lowermost padin contact with the liquid in said receptacle.

11. In combination, a frame, a rack for holding a plurality of pads in astack, a receptacle for a. liquid, carried by said frame, means formovably supporting said rack with respect to said frame to bring thelowermost pad of said rack in con- 5 tact with the liquid in saidreceptacle, and means for limiting the movement of said rack to hold theadjacent pad in the stack away from the liquid in said receptacle.

12. A device for moistening and dispensing pads comprising a frame,, avertical rack for the reception of a stack of pads, a guide carried bysaid frame for slidably supporting said rack for movement in a verticaldirection, means at the lower 'end of said rack for holding the lastpads in the rack for individual removal therefrom, a receptacle carriedby said frame for holding a quantity of liquid to be applied to saidpads, said receptacle being disposed below said stack to receive thelowermost pad when the rack is slid downwardly along said guide.

13'. A device for moistening and dispensing pads comprising a frame, avertical rack for the reception of a stack of pads slidable relativethereto, a receptacle for a quantity of liquid to be applied to saidpads carried by said frame, and means for moving said pads with respectto the frame successively into contact with said liquid to cause theabsorption of a portion of the liquid by each of said pads.

14. In combination, means for supporting adjacent one another aplurality of pads each having an absorptive surface, means for applyingmoisture to the absorptive surface of one of said pads, and meansdisposed between said pad and the adjacent pad for precluding absorptionof the adjacent pad of moisture absorbed by the moistened pad.

15. In combination, means for supporting adjacent one another aplurality of pads each hav- 4,0 ing an absorptive surface, means forapplying moisture to the absorptive surface of one of said pads, and animpervious sheet of non-absorbent material overlying the absorptivesurface of the adjacent pad to preclude the absorption by said pad ofmoisture absorbed by the moistened pad.

16. In combination, means for supporting adjacent one another aplurality of pads each having an absorptive surface, means for applying1 moisture to the absorptive surface of one of said pads, and animpervious sheet of non-absorbent material overlying the absorptivesurface of the adjacent pad to preclude the absorption by said pad ofmoisture absorbed by the moistened pad, said sheet being attached to themoistened pad.

17. In combination, a case for a plurality of pads, a support for thelowermost of said pads, said case having an opening therein throughwhich the pads may be removed, a receptacle in said case in proximity tosaid opening and means for guiding said support for movement to bringsaid pad opposite said opening or into said receptacle.

18. In combination, a case for a plurality of pads, said case having anopening therein through which the pads may be removed, a support forsupporting'the lowermost of said pads, a receptacle positioned inproximity to said support, and means for guiding one thereof formovement with respect to the other to bring the lowermost pad eitherinto said reieptacle or opposite said opening.

19. In combination, a rack for supporting a plurality of pads, a supporttherefor including a w guideway in which said rack is slidably mounted,said rack being bodily removable from said support, a resilient memberattached to and normally carried by said rack, means for sliding saidrack along said guideway, means on said support for engaging saidresilient member for holding said rack and pads in supported position,and means for normally tensioning said resilient member to hold the rackin normal position prior to the operation of said means for sliding therack.

20. In combination, a rack for supporting a plurality of pads, asupporttherefor including a 'guideway in which said rack is slidablymounted, said rack being bodily removable from said support, a coilspring, means attached to said rack for engaging each end of the coilspring, said coil spring being normally tensioned, and means carried bysaid guideway for engagement with said spring to support the rack withinsaid guideway and for further tensioning the spring upon furthermovement of said rack within said guideway.

21. In combination, supporting means for bolding a plurality of pads ina stack with the lowermost pad exposed, moistening means below saidstack of pads presenting a moistening surface for contact with theexposed pad, guide means between said support and moistening means forguiding said support and moistening means for vertical relativemovement, means for holding said moistening means and supporting meanswith the lowermost pad spaced from the moistening surface, means formoving the lowermost pad in said stack and said moistening meansvertically relative to one another to bring the lowermost pad in contactwith the moistening surface, and means for guiding said lowermost padfor movement relative to the stack in a substantially horizontaldirection out of the stack.

JAMES B. DARGAVEL.

